Striker George Hirst’s Scotland face Brazil in their final group game in Miami this evening aiming to make the knockout stage of a World Cup finals for the first time (KO 11pm, BBC One).

The Scots are on three points, which should be enough to see them progress as one of the best third-placed sides, barring a heavy defeat.

Hirst, who has yet to come off the bench during the tournament, will hope to become the first Town player since John Wark and Alan Brazil in 1982 to represent Scotland at a World Cup finals this evening.

Wark started all three games for the Scots at the 1982 finals in Spain, while frontman Brazil began the opening fixture against New Zealand and came on as a sub in the other two matches, against Brazil and the Soviet Union.

Midfielder Wark also became the first Blues player to score at a World Cup when he netted twice in three minutes in the 5-2 thrashing of the Kiwis, and remains the only Scot to have done so while with Town.

The last Town player to score at a finals was Matt Holland, who smashed a brilliant equaliser in the Republic of Ireland’s 1-1 draw with Cameroon in 2002.

If he is involved this evening, the 27-year-old, who has previously won 10 caps, scoring one goal, would become the 12th Town player to feature at a World Cup finals, Ali Al-Hamadi having taken the total to 11 after featuring in both Iraq’s games this summer.

The 10 players have featured at previous World Cups while with Town: Wark and Brazil (Scotland), Mick Mills, Paul Mariner, Terry Butcher (all England), Bontcho Guentchev (Bulgaria), Matt Holland (Republic of Ireland), Amir Karic (Slovenia), Tommy Smith (New Zealand, who will also be at this summer’s finals) and Jonas Knudsen (Denmark).

John Elsworthy (Wales), George Burley (Scotland) and Bartosz Bialkowski (Poland) have been in squads for finals without playing, and in Elsworthy’s case in 1958, without travelling.

Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters